Spacey/Swain Baptism Infomation

[suzanne2812]

Hi,

I am hoping someone may be able to cast free eyes over a family mystery. My grandad had a uncle who he never knew about. William married in America & died in 1915. His wife & her sister were rather secretive & both had an interesting childhood. My great great uncle was British as was his wife, she was a British national.

Ethel Maud Swain spoke to her grand niece in the 70's & told the tale thus. Sophia Spacey married Frederick Louis Swain (Prospector for Queen Victoria) & when he died, she married his brother, Frederick (midshipman in Royal Navy). Sophia was in South Africa as a missionary. Sophia died giving birth to her last child, Ethel's sister, Violet Dorothy. So that was the tale. Sophia didn't die. She returned to the UK & her daughter's left her in a mental hospital where they trained as nurses. However, they were half sisters & there were two others. The girls returned to the UK in the 1890's at the outbreak of the Boar War, where they were baptised (can't find that yet) & put into a missionary school. Ethel says she was brought up in Africa by someone other than her mother before they returned.

I have just double checked & found that Sophia Martyn Spacey married Albert Swain in 1892. Both are listed as unmarried. I have found they had a daughter prior to that, Violet Dorothy Swain, who died in 1891. Albert followed in 1893. His death registration gave his other name as Frederick Louis.

So, firstly, did Sophia marry again to his brother? I can't see anything & it could be she was married before either.
Secondly, Sophia had four girls.
Minnie Margaret Swain b1886 - South Africa.
Ethel Maud Swain b 19/9/1887 - South Africa.
Harriet V Swain b1888 - South Africa. Prior to her marriage.
Violet Dorothy Swain b 9/10/1894 - South Africa, Alfred's daughter born 8 months after he died.
I cannot find any birth records, just the one for the baby that died.

Can anyone help at all.

Thanks in advance. Suzanne.

[rosie99]

Is this Sophia with Minnie & Ethel in 1901 (She is a widow)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS35-SPT

[suzanne2812]

Yes, it is. I can locate her on all census returns except the ones where she'd be in Africa.

[Nookie]

I see that Sophia married Alfred Swain on 7/2/1892- not, Albert - possibly where the Fred came from? 

Unfortunately births are not available on line, but many baptisms are.  Often these include the date of birth as well.  Violet was born and died in 1891.

[suzanne2812]

I think that was a first daughter of that name, as Violet gave her DOB as 1894. Her birth date changed on different certificates though. I feel they were rather secretive as a family. There were the four sisters. One was adopted in the UK, the eldest, Ethel, followed Violet to America. Their mother ended up in a lunatic asylum & both Dorothy (as she was known) & Ethel worked there as nurses.

Dorothy had a son. The tale was told that his father, my great uncle, returned to the UK. However, her son was born in 1920 & I found that William died in 1915!

It's all very confusing.

[rosie99]

I think that was a first daughter of that name, as Violet gave her DOB as 1894. Her birth date changed on different certificates though. I feel they were rather secretive as a family. There were the four sisters. One was adopted in the UK, the eldest, Ethel, followed Violet to America. Their mother ended up in a lunatic asylum & both Dorothy (as she was known) & Ethel worked there as nurses.

The 1911 does indicate that she had more children than the 4 you have stated 

[suzanne2812]

Their mother, Sophia is in the asylum in 1911. I could only trace Minnie as a servant in that census. Dorothy was in America having gone across in 1909 before returning to marry in 1913. What details have your found?